Book Review: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield, The War of Art
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This is one I hope to re-read time and time again. Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art has come at a good time for me – at a time where I’ve come to recognize that the only person holding me back from my goals is myself and the amazingly intricate labyrinth of excuses and rationalizations I’ve created to keep myself there.

I would recommend The War of Art for anyone that has a goal that matters to them that they are struggling to achieve – whether it’s something they’ve wanted to do for years now, or a very new goal they have only just formed and desire to equip themselves before the battle begins.

The book is divided into three sections or ‘Books’:

  1. Recognizing what Resistance (within one’s self) is and the many forms in which it takes place
  2. Challenging Resistance by becoming a Professional
  3. The idea of a person’s ‘calling’

I have personally found sections one and two to be immensely helpful, and immediately applicable. The detailed manner in which Pressfield outlines the way a person talks themselves out of taking steps towards a goal is very helpful in identifying the problem. The steps he outlines in becoming a Professional are powerful tools to lift oneself out of ones mind and into habits that will lead to ones goal being accomplished far more than when a person is simply paralyzed from fear and stuck in a mode of inaction. Especially helpful are the comparisons of the Amateur vs. Professional.

I hope it’s as helpful for you as it is for me.

Buy it on Amazon: The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles

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